Field game with tire goals



Dec. 10, 1968 w. BAUER FIELD GAME WITH TIRE GOALS Filed July 1, 1965 WILL/AM BAUER INVENT E. 5 01 06;

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,415,522 FIELD GAME WITH TIRE GOALS William Bauer, 212 Forester St., El Campo, Tex. 77437 Filed July 1, 1965, Ser. No. 468,718 3 Claims. (Cl. 273-126) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE quoit.

This invention relates to a game played with a signal goal piece, the game played being in the nature of lacrosse, football, basketball and the like, and the invention also relates to a modified playing field or court for football, lacrosse, basketball and the like.

The invention also relates to a game of this type which requires a special goal piece, as an inflated quoit and to a game having each of two opposed goals comprised of three conventional automobile tires tied together in special relation to each other.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a game of this type Which may be played by teams small in number .as five to a side, up to teams large in number, up to seventeen to a side.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide a game of this type which requires a minimum of apparatus to be set up so that the game can be played with apparatus easily carried about from place to place and easily erected and requiring no permanent acreage or specific location.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide a game of this class in which the field of play can be easily selected and marked off; the field of play being no larger than substantially half the area of a football field.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a game of this class in which the apparatus employed, especially the backstops, can additionally be used for advertising and display purposes.

It is another object of this invention to provide a game of this class designated to require a minimum of referees, umpires and the like, to patrol the observation of the rules of the game.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a game or games of this class in which a border area is provided around the main playing area for the activities of .auxiliary players.

It is yet another and further object of this invention to provide a game or games of this class in which the aforesaid auxiliary border area players carry out additional leaders as cheer leaders.

Other and further objects will be apparent when the specification herein is considered in connection with the drawings in Which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of one form of lined playing field with space apart transverse lines, side lines, and backstops;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of another form of lined playing field with lined side zones .and end zones, and transversely lined playing field inwardly thereof;

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the relative disposition of the tires combined to form a goal;

FIG. 4 is a sectional elevation through a tire, showing means of anchoring it;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of an inflatable game piece employed in the game;

3,415,522 Patented Dec. 10, 1968 FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken along line '6-6 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional elevational view through the check valve shown in FIG. 6.

There is an ever increasing need, as the population of this nation grows, for games in the nature of team games, as football, basketball, baseball and the like, which can be played on lesser areas than these games hereinabove enumerated, and with less expensive equipment or it can be moved itinerantly from place to place and set up without expensive installation costs. Also, there is an increasing need for such games which are not calculated to involve injuries to the players or to adjacent property. There is also a need for such a game which can be played at a tempo not calculated to cause any permanent injuries to health as may be caused in more exhaustive forms of exercise demanded by such games as basketball.

With the foregoing objects in view, and to fulfill the foregoing needs, this instant game has been improvised with simple apparatus easily installed, easily removed, and additionally having appeal to business and commercial establishments, since this game can serve in the nature of advertising, as for instance, in advertising sponsors of the game; the game also having a special player appeal, and a great appeal to the sporting public, as can be appreciated when the embodiments of the invention hereinbelow described are considered in connection with the drawings, in which like reference numerals are assigned to like elements in the various views:

As shown in FIG. 1, the game designated generally by the reference numeral 10 includes two backstops 11, four corner posts 12, and at each end of a playing field, three tires 13 together comprising .a goal generally designated by the reference numeral 14. Also, the game includes a goal piece in the form of a quoit or protected tubular element 15. With the field of play quickly staked out by extending chalk lines between the posts 12 to chalk in the borders of the field 16, the backstops 11 are then positioned centrally at each end to extend vertically by folding out foldable back braces 17. Three tires 13 of say 26" outer diameter and 1*8" inner diameter are set up in the relationship shown in FIG. 3, whereby the front tire has opening facing directly down field and the two side tires extend reanwardly and outwardly at an angle of approximately 40 degrees from a transverse line 'across the field. Tires may be installed as best indicated in FIG. 4,.

by sticking eyelet stakes 19 into the ground on either side of the side tires, the eyelets being joined by a strong cord or line 20. The two side tires may be tied together with the front tire substantially centrally of the height thereof by any suitable cord 21,.as indicated in FIG. 3.

In the form of invention thus shown spaces are marked indicated for six players on each side but this is not a limiting requirement and the number may vary downwardly and be played by five players on a team or even four players on a team. The positions indicated show a main goalie 22 who stands slightly forwardly of the center tire and two side goalies 23 and 27 who stand rearwardly of the main goalie and outwardly toward the flanks of the respective goal side tires. As indicated in FIG. 1, forward player positions are shown which may generally be designated as right forward, center and left forward, 24, 25 and 26, respectively.

The game piece 15 may preferably be a tubular annulus 14" in outer diameter by 1%" diameter in transverse cross-section and comprising a leather cover 28 which encloses a tube 29 of sutficient wall thickness to insure substantial rigidity of the goal piece while at the same time being calculated to permit, in combination with the leather cover, a certain amount of bouncing and rebounding.

Final control of the degree of bouncing and rebounding together with rigidity required of the game piece can be controlled by inflating the game piece with compressed air through a conventional check valve 31 provided therein for this purpose, the check valve element including a seat 31a against which a valve element or ball 31b is yieldably urged seated radially outwardly as by a spring 31c which seats on a perforate plate 31d, so that when air is pumped through the fitting 31 it cannot pass back out therethrough, as the check ball 31b seats outwardly. Thus, to deflate the tube 29 the check ball 31]) has to be forced off its seat from the outside and against the pressure of the Spring 31c.

The backstops 11 may have advertising matter thereon such as portrayals of types of automobiles or advertisements of the types of tires used for goals 14.

The leather cover 28 for the game piece 15 may be affixed around the annular or doughnut shaped quoit 29, as by a conventional zipper 39, indicated in FIG. 6, the conventional zipper handle or traveller being omitted for purposes of clarity.

As a special feature the playing field 16 is adapted to be laid out readily as the respective corner posts 12, when aligned in position, may be joined around the rectangle enclosed, by chalk lines, the chalk lines pulled upwardly, and then released, whereby to reflex against the ground and leave chalk border lines to delineate the boundaries. In like manner the lateral lines may be laid out across the field after which the chalk lines may be removed.

A variation of playing field is shown in FIG. 2 in which a field proper 16a is first delineated and cross-marked, and the goals installed. Then outwardly of the field 160, a border area may be provided therearound, including side zones 32a on each side and end zones 32b at the opposed ends of the main playing field. The requisite jmarking delineations of the field may be laid out by using chalk lines between corner posts 12a, and then the corner post 12a may be left in place to further delineate the playing field and its borders during play, correspondingly as shown in FIG. 1, as regards the corner posts 12. Otherwise, the field, including its border zones 32a, 32b, may be enclosed with a low fence or panelling 33 shown in FIG. 2, with entrances being provided through the fence 33 in the form of gates 34a and 34b, as shown disposed centrally in the sideline fences.

In this latter form of game 10a spaces are shown for sideline or auxiliary players 35 and 36 who may be stationed in the sideline zones as designated in FIG. 2, with the respective auxiliary players of each team being assigned to zones adjacent the respective goal which its team defends.

As an example of the duties which auxiliary players may carry out, as the game piece is carried by the opposing team players towards the goal which the teammates of respective auxiliary players may be defending, then these sideline or auxiliary players, who in the meantime may have been serving as cheer leaders, or as specially functioning coaches, may be permitted to carry out special playing duties, such as being allowed to pick up and return the ball or game piece should it go out of play from the main field into the zone of a respective auxiliary player.

As a special adaptation of the game, the goals 14, shown in FIG. 2, may be replaced by conventional basketball goals. Also, the game piece 15 may be replaced by a conventional basketball, but with the auxiliary players in the border zones serving as aforesaid.

The best usage of the game, as shown in FIG. 1 or in FIG. 2, is for an adaptation of team games corresponding in general aspects with football, or more especially with lacrosse. Preferably such games may be played by a lesser number of playing field players than those conventionally employed in football, lacrosse, or baseball, but with provision made for border zone or sideline players. Such a game could be specially adapted for small communities with few youth, so that the larger ones may take the main playing field roles, while the smaller or under developed ones may carry out border zone assignments. Also in neighborhoods, the male youth can play the main playing field roles and the female youth can play the auxiliary player roles.

This invention is designed to use a combination of structures of small cost and of easy accessibility in manner that the same may be put together into a game which requires less ground space than a football field or a baseball diamond; which requires a moderate amount of running by the players, and a minimum of, or no physical contact between the players.

Also, the invention includes apparatus which may serve as advertising background for various sponsors or subscribers to the advertising space included by the game.

Additionally, it is of importance that the game has a goal piece or game piece which is inexpensive, which may be inflatable to control its utility and firmness to resistance, and which is of a size and shape to offer great versatility in the manner in which it is handled by players to advance it during play.

The game is also unique in that the backstops, as in the form shown in FIG. 1, can comprise the largest elements and can carry a signal means, audible, visible or both, to announce the scoring of goals. Also, the backstops may not only serve to tout automobiles but other equipment such as tractors, drag lines, jeeps, trucks motors, pumps, restaurants and the like, theatres, and places of entertainment. Also, the backstops can be used to advertise various business concerns that may sponsor a team, as aforesaid.

It is also of importance that the corner posts, which delineate the ends and sides of the field, may be used in connection with chalk lines to chalk the borders of the field. Also, such corner posts may be used to chalk transverse lines 30 along the field, as through the center thereof, whereby the progress of the game piece can be more readily approximated from play to play.

In summary, the invention is not limited to playing fields of any particular size, except by comparison, nor to bordered fields with any specially dimensioned borders, nor to goals, except as to those admitting a plurality of types of scores therethrough, by virtue of goal sizes and relative positions. Nor is the invention limited to any particular type of game piece, except as to a game piece of simplicity which is adapted for a light running game. Also the invention is not limited to any particular abetting structures, .as particular backstops, or structures which may incidentally display advertising. In effect, the invention is not limited to any of these aforesaid items, in any specific detail, except as such may fall within the broad spirit of the invention, and within the broad scope of interpretation claimed for and merited by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Game apparatus to be played by a small plurality of pairs of players comprising a playing field less than yards long and approximately half field length in the width and divided by longitudinally evenly spaced apart transverse lines, a goal piece comprising a hollow quoit of round cross-section with wall material of a predetermined degree of hardness to preserve resiliency while being of weight, shape and rigidity and wall thickness to withstand the rigorous usage imposed by carrying and passing it as required by the game, and including a check valve therein wherein said game piece may be inflated to control requirements aforesaid, a pair of goals, each goal having a plurality of tire-shaped goal members, one forwardly and the other obliquely facing, thus to provide a plurality of scoring inlets with the obliquely fac ing members offering less transverse component of forward scoring area than said forwardly facing member, thereby providing a plurality of degrees of difficulty in scoring, means for tying adjacent goal members together centrally in elevation thereof, hold-down means passing through each goal member tire opening and over and in contact with the inner, lowermost part of said goal memher, and means staking each hold-down means to said playing field on opposite sides of each goal member, whereby said goals may be rapidly assembled and selectively, adjustably located at playing field location.

2. Game apparatus as claimed in claim 1 which additionally includes a backstop means disposed adjacent the end confines of said main playing field.

3. Game apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the playing field includes corner posts to delineate it, border zones being provided outwardly of the sides and ends of said playing fields, enclosure means being provided outwvardly of said border zones, and gate means being provided through said enclosure means, whereby said goal piece may be returnable to said playing field from said border zones, as by auxiliary players with limited playing functions.

References Cited UNITED LOUIS G. MANCENE,

15 S. NATTER, Assistant STATES PATENTS 'Root a 273102 Marlow 273-102 Hatley 273- X Lee 5-348 X Leise 273-l06 X FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain.

Pl imary Examiner.

Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

